Upwardly acting doors



Aug- 8, 1957 F. D, cRosswl-:LL 3,334,681

UPWARDLY ACTING DOORS Filed July e, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IL Y r' f 'I7' .5 r l 7'- 7 47 2 INVENTOR 7770 7. (fawn/e# 57j 71 E 7J. BY 7 Y @wwwATTORN-EY.

Aug. 8, 1967 F. D. cRosswELl.

UPWARDLY ACTING DOORS 3 Sheets-sheet z Filed July e, 1964 INVENTOR..7V/Uy 0. (mnu/@ BY ATTORNEY.

Aug. 8, 1967 F. D. cRosswELL UPWARDLY ACTING DOORS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed July 6, 1964 INVENTOR. /O C/owu/d/ BY@ ATTOR N E Y.

United States Patent O 3,334,681 UPWARDLY ACTING DOORS Flay D.Crosswell, Marion, Ohio, assignor to Overhead Door Corporation, HartfordCity, Ind. Filed July 6, 1964, Ser. No. 380,426 13 Claims. (Cl. 160-40)'Ihis application is a continuation-impart of United States patentapplication Ser. No. 135,988, led Sept. 5, 1961, now Patent No.3,198,242, entitled, lUpwardly Acting Door and Seal Means Therefor.

This invention relates to upwardly acting doors.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide an upwardly acting door comprising a plurality ofhingedly connected sections and which presents a substantially smoothinner surface when the door is in closed position.

Second, to provide an upwardly :actin-g door having the abovecharacteristics in which the joints between the sections are effectivelysealed when the door is in closed position.

Third, to provide a door assembly in which the track engaging rollersare mounted at the ends of the sections yand closely adjacent to thehinge connections therefor.

Fourth, to provide means for connecting a counterbalancing cable to thedoor without removing the door from its supporting and guiding tracks.

Fifth, to provide a coupling connection for a counterbalancing cable toan upwardly acting door which minimizes the stress on the cable at thepoint of its connection to the door.

Objects relating to details and economies of the inven- Ation willappear from the description to follow. The invention is defined andpointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary inside elevational view of an upwardly actingdoor comprising -a plurality of sections embodying my invention, afragment of the track at one end of the closure being conventionallyshown.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the relationship of thesections to a track, a portion only of the jamb being shown.

FIG. 3 is yan enlarged fragmentary view partially in section on a line3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical view partially in section ona line corresponding to line 4-4 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in vertical section on a line correspondingto line 5-5 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the relationshipof adjacent sections and the hinge connections therefor and the supportfor the track engaging rollers.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary View in section on a line corresponding to line7-7 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary end elevational view illustrating the bottomportion of the door in closed position rela- ,tive to the sill, which isconventionally shown, and illus- `pair in tilted relation to the other,-and illustrating strucice tu-ral details of the adjacent edges of thesections and the seal therefor.

I have illustrated a commercial embodiment of my invention in anupwardly acting door comprising a plurality of sections. Structuresembodying my invention are particularly desirable where it is importantthat there should be no parts projecting inwardly to any substantialextent from the inner side of the closure for use, for example, inenclosed trucks, trailers, railway cars and the like Where contents arelikely to shift into engagement with the closure, and further whereeffective sealing of the sections in relation to each other and to thejamb or frame is an important factor, and in that connection a doorwhich requires little elfort in opening and closing.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated comprises a plurality ofsections including top section 1, bottom section 2, and intermediatesections 3. These are substantial duplicates so far as their meetingedges are concerned and therefore I have only illustrated in detail therelationship of a pair of the sections. The closure is slidably mountedon rails designated generally by the numeral 4 with which the rollers 5coact.

A door jamb 6 is conventionally illustrated in FIG. 2, but a crosssection thereof is illustrated in FIG. 4 with the track 4 mountedthereon and with which the rollers 5 coact. A sill is conventionallyillust-rated at 7, see FIGS. l and 8. A portion of a wall is illustratedat 8 in FIG. 4. In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIGS.3, 4, 5 and 6, the door sections comprise body members 9, inner sheetmetal facing panels 10, and outer panels 11. The body members 9 may beof different stock or materials, multiply stock or insulating materials.These body members have upwardly projecting longitudinally extendingtapered rib-like portions 12 on their upper edges and cooperatingdownwardly facing longitudinal grooves 13 on their lower edges, theseparts being designed so that they nest when the sections are in closedposition, as is illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 11.

It will be noted that there are shoulder-like portions 14 and 15 on theouter sides of the ribs and grooves. Resilient seal members 16 aremounted on the shoulders 15, these being provided with upwardlyprojecting longitudinally extending flanges 17, see FIG. 11. Theseflanges lare such that they are readily collapsed when the sections arein closed position (see FIG. 5) and insure effective sealing.

The connecting hinges for the closure sections are of l the leaf typecomprising leaves 18, coacting knuckles 19,

and pivots 20. The inner panels 10 have recesses 21 therein adapted todesirably littingly receive the hinge leaves, as is illustrated in FIGS.5 and 6. It will be understood that Where closures are of a substantialwidth it is desirable to provide intermediate hinges as well as hingesadjacent the edges of the door, as is illustrated4 in FIG. 1. Thesehinge leaves are iixedly secured to the closure sections as by means ofthe screws 22.

In the embodiment illustrated, the spindles 23 of the rollers 5 aresupportedly engaged with and carried by the spindle support members 24disposed in recesses 25 which open at the ends of the sections anddesirably also at the inner edges thereof for convenience inmanufacturing and assembling. These recesses 25 are overlapped andclosed by one of the hinge leaves. The recesses are of noncircular crosssection and the members 24 have parallel top and bottom sides and arettingly engaged in the recesses, as is clearly illustrated in FIGS. 5and 7. These spindle support members have attaching flanges 26 which aredisposed in lapping relation to the ends of the sections and securedthereto as by means of the screws 27.

The spindles 23 are provided with shoulders 28 which about or are inthrust engagement with the outer ends of the bearings. The rollers 5being in engagement 3 with the track as illustrated in FIG. 4effectively prevent lateral shifting or edgewise shifting of the door asit is opened or closed, or subjected to racking stresses in use in amotor vehicle, for example.

If desired, the spindles for the rollers may be nonrotatably engafed inthe spindle support members 24 and the rollers rotatably mounted on thespindles. However, both forms of track engaging rollers are old in theart but the shoulders on the outer end of the spindle disposed in thrustengagement wtih the outer end of the spindle bearing member is animportant and novel feature of this invention.

In the accompanyinqg drawing the spring actuated counterbalance means isdesignated by the numeral 29. The cable 30 is desirably of twisted wireand is wound upon the drum 31 and connected to the bottom door section 2by anchoring means illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. This particular cableanchoring means has the advantage of minimizing stress upon the cableand also facilitates connecting the cable to the door in installing andin the event the cable should be broken.

The means for connecting the cable to the door includes the combinedspindle support bracket and cable anchoring member designated generallyby the numeral 32 (see FIGS. 8 and 9) and includes the anchoring plate33 provided with holes to receive screws 34. This member 32 has aninwardly projecting bearing 35 disposed in the bore 36 providedtherefor. There is also a bore 37 which is adapted to receive thecoupling socket 38 for the coupling pin 39 of the cable anchoring member40 so that this member 40 is swingable transversely of the door section,as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 8, thereby permitting couplingengagement of the cable and relieving the cable of any twisting orkinking stress as the door is opened and closed.

The coupling member 40 is provided with an inwardly projecting lug 41and has a keyhole slot 42 therein through which the cable may beinserted or removed, the cable being provided with an anchoring collar43 on its lower end.

The jamb seal 44 designated generally by the numeral 44 is mounted onthe frame 6 so that the door is in engagement with the yieldabl'e sealportion 45 when the door is in closed position, as indicated in FIG. 4.This is not described in detail as it forms no part of my presentinvention.

A seal unit designated by the numeral 46 is disposed on and supportedlyconnected to the bottom door section as illustrated in FIG. 8. Thiscoacts under sealing cornpression stress with the sill when the door isin closed position. The guard member 47 is a strip of flexibly resilientmaterial and extends from edge to edge of the bottom section at theouter side of the sill seal unit with its lower edge in engagement withthe sill when the door is in fully lclosed position. This prevents theentrance of water or forming of ice which might adhere the seal member46 to the sill and result in its being fractured when the door isopened. This guard member is desirably of flexible resilient material soWhile stiff enough to maintain its position yet it yields when subjectedto stress.

I have illustrated and described my invention in a highly desirableembodiment. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe otheradaptations as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilledin the art to ernbody or adapt the invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination in an upwardly acting door including a plurality ofsections, the sections comprising form retaining body members havinginner facing panels lixedly connected thereto, leaf` hinges connectingsaid sections, the said inner panels having openings therein in whichthe leaves of said hinges are disposed, a resilient seal member mountedon the edge and extending longitudinally of one of said sections and ofsuch thickness that it is compressedly engaged between the adjacentedges of sections when the sections are in closed relation to eachother, the body member of one of the sections having a spindle supportmember receiving slot therein opening at the inner side thereof andpositioned so that it is covered by the hinge leaf attached thereto, aspindle support member having a noncircular portion supportedly fittingwithin said slot and having an attaching flange at its outer end securedto the end of the section, and a track engaging roller having a spindledisposed in said spindle support member.

2. The combination in an upwardly acting door including a plurality -ofsections, the sections comprising form retaining body members havinginner sheet metal facing panels xedly connected thereto, leaf hingesconnecting said sections, the said inner panels having openings thereinin which the leaves of said hinges are disposed, the adjacent edges ofsaid body members having recesses, said hinges having inwardlyprojecting knuckle portions received into said recesses, the body memberof one of the sections having a spindle support member receiving recesstherein, a spindle support member having a noncircular portionsupportedly fitting within said re.- cess and having an attaching angeat its outer end engaged with and secured to the end of the section, anda track engaging roller having a spindle disposed in said spindlesupport member, there being a shoulder at the outer end of said spindledisposed in thrust bearing engagement with the outer end of said spindlesupport member.

3. The combination in `an upwardly acting door in cluding a plurality ofsections, the sections comprising form retaining lbody members havinginner facing panels ixedly connected to the inner sides thereof, leafhinges connecting said sections, the said vinner panels having openingstherein in which the leaves of said hinges are disposed, the body memberof one of the sections having a spindle support member receiving sl-ottherein opening at the inner side thereof and positioned so that it iscoveredby the hinge leaf attached to the lower section, a spindlesupport member having a noncircular portion supportedly and nonrotatably fitting within said slot and having an attaching ange at itsrouter end engaged with and secured to the end of the section, and atrack engaging roller having a spindle disposed in said `spindleIsupport member.

4. The combination in an upwardly acting door including a plurality ofsections, the sections comprising form retaining body members havinginner sheet metal facing panels fiXedly connected to the inner sidethereof, leaf hinges connecting said sections, the said inner panelshaving openings therein in which the leaves of said hinges are disposed,the adjacent edges of said body members having recesses, said hingeshaving inwardly projecting knuckle portions received into said recesses,the body member of one of the sections having a spindle support memberreceiving recess therein, a spindle support member having a noncircularportion supportedly fitting within said recess and having an attachingflange at its outer end engaged with and secured to the end of thesection, and a track engaging roller having a spindle disposed in saidspindle support member.

5. The combination in an upwardly acting door including a plurality ofsections, the sections comprising form retaining body members havinginner facing panels iixedly connected to the inner sides of said bodymembers, leaf hinges connecting said sections, the said inner panelshaving openings therein in which the leaves of said hinges are disposed,the body member of one of the sections having a slot-like spindlesupport member receiving lrecess therein opening at the inner sidethereof and positioned so that it is closed by the hinge leaf attachedto the lower section, a spindle support member having a noncircularportion supportedly fitting within said recess and having an attachingange at its outer end engaged with and secured to the end of thesection, and a track engaging roller having a spindle disposed in saidspindle support member.

6. The combination in an upwardly acting door including a track, aplurality of hingedly connected sections, one of an adjacent pair ofsections having a spindle support receiving recess extending from andopening at the inner side of the section to an end edge thereof andhaving parallel top and bottom walls, said recess being positioned sothat it is covered by the hinge leaf attached to said one of said pairof sections a spindle support member having parallel top and bottomsurfaces iittingly engaged with the top and bottom surfaces of saidrecess and having attaching ange portions at its outer end projectingabove and below said recess, said flange portions being Iixedly securedto the end of the section above and below said recess and constituting areinforcing means for the portion of said section above said recesstherein, and a track engaging roller provided with a spindle disposed insaid spindle support member and provided with an inwardly facingshoulder in coacting relation with the outer side of said spindlesupport member.

7. The combination in an upwardly acting door including a track, aplurality of sections connected by hinge means, the lower of an adjacentpair of sections having a spindle support receiving recess extendinginwardly from the end edge and one side edge thereof and havingsubstantially parallel top and bottom walls, a spindle support memberhaving substantially parallel top and bottom surfaces supportedlyengaged with the top and bottom walls of said recess and having anattaching ange on its outer end projecting above and below said recess,attaching means for said support member engaging said iiange above andbelow said recess, a part of said hinge means covering said side edge ofsaid recess and a track engaging roller provided with a spindlesupportedly disposed in said spindle support member.

8. The structure deiined in claim 6 including adjacent edges of saidsections being recessed to receive the inwardly projecting portions ofthe knuckles of said hinge.

9. The structure defined in claim 6 wherein one of an adjacent pair ofsections comprises along an edge thereof longitudinally extending ribmeans projecting outwardly from said edge of said one section, theadjacent section having along an edge thereof correspondingly shapedgroove means adapted to receive said rib means.

10. The structure deiined in claim 9 wherein said rib means and saidgroove means comprise one rib and one groove substantially centrallypositioned on said edges of said adjacent pairs of sections so thatshoulder-like portions are formed on the inner and outer edges of thesaid sections.

11. The structure defined in claim 6 including a resilient seal membermounted on yone of said sections, said seal member having a thicknessthat is compressedly engaged between the adjacent edges of said ribsections.

12. The structure defined in claim 6 wherein said sections comprise aform retaining body member having inner facing panels iixedly connectedthereto.

13. The structure defined in claim 12 wherein said panels have openingstherein into which said leaves of said hinges are disposed so that saidleaf portions of said hinges are flush with the side of said section.

References Cited UNITEDv STATES PATENTS 7/ 1930 Great Britain.

DAVID I. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSLEY, Examiner.

7. THE COMBINATION IN AN UPWARDLY ACTING DOOR INCLUDING A TRACK, APLURALITY OF SECTIONS CONNECTED BY HINGE MEANS, THE LOWER OF AN ADJACENTPAIR OF SECTIONS HAVING A SPINDLE SUPPORT RECEIVING RECESS EXTENDINGINWARDLY FROM THE END EDGE AND ONE SIDE EDGE THEREOF AND HAVINGSUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS, A SPINDLE SUPPORT MEMBERHAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TOP AND BOTTOM SURFACES SUPPORTEDLYENGAGED WITH THE TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS OF SAID RECESS AND HAVING ANATTACHING FLANGE ON